


Learning to trust again

by Albuskero



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Love, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 13:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14935043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Albuskero/pseuds/Albuskero
Summary: Running away from her country was hard, running away from her boyfriend even harder, but for the wrong reasons.  She had nothing left in Sokovia , not her parents, not her beloved brother not a loving companion. All she had left was pain and fear.Wanda never imagined how much her life was going to change when she got to the station that rainy day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So..this is the first time i publish something, i have been a ghost in this fandom for a while now too scared to dare expose what i write. But every day i read stories and i love how they make me feel and i think how brave the authors are sharing their work so...here i go.  
> English is not my main language so im very sorry in advance for my mistakes, please feel free to correct me (im still learning!) 
> 
> Also im not sure if the tags are correct...ill go with that for now.

Vision pulled his phone out of his pocket for the fifth time in the last half an hour and sighed. This was not what they had planned, it was not what  _ he _ had planned. He was supposed to be back in London already but thanks to the weather he was in a line to buy a train ticket instead. He looked around a little bit exasperated, the dark station full of people was suffocating and Vision wasn't used to this, being the only child of the magnate Tony Stark he had had a pretty easy life, one could say. He wasn't a snob, nor he was arrogant and spoiled like some of the other rich boys he had grown up with, thanks to his mother he was very down to earth. Still, not getting things his way was not usual, Vision was smart and organized and he thought that was enough but clearly he hadn't taken in consideration the lovely winter weather when he booked his trip.

He was there to supervise one of his father factories, in this small country called Sokovia. Vision had never been there before but since he was taking more responsibilities in the company he felt compelled to visit. 

Vision had been standing there for a few minutes when he noticed that the line wasn't moving and looked to the front for the cause. There was a child, no, a small woman at the counter but the man behind the glass kept shaking his head. If she was saying something Vision could not hear but after a few more minutes and the irritation of the person behind her the woman moved to the side and kept her eyes glued to the floor. Vision didn't know what complied him to do it but when the line moved and he stood next to the girl he wanted to know what was wrong and so he asked “excuse me, miss, are you okay?” and when she lifted her face he knew the answer. She had a splitted and swollen lip, a big purple bruise that spread unevenly across the left side of her face and a cut that clearly wasn't checked by a doctor because he was pretty sure it needed stitches. The girl had the most beautiful green eyes Vision had ever seen and he felt drawn to her, as stupid as it was in the situation. She never answered his question and he was soon called to the counter. 

“Hi how may i help you” said a monotonous voice from behind the glass.

“Hi yes, i would like to buy a ticket to London, please, the sooner the better” he looked behind him at the girl and she was frantically moving things in her small backpack. “what was the problem with her?” he asked unable to control himself.  _ You don't know her, stop worrying for other people  _ he was sure his friends would say, “There are no more regular tickets available and she didn't had enough money to buy a 1st class so..” the men trailed off. “where was she going?” “London, same as you, ready to pick your seat? The train leaves in 20 minutes” the man spoke boredly and Vision nodded “just one sec” he said and turned around to face then sokovian girl “miss” he said softly “how old are you?” she looked at him warily “do you speak English?” she nodded at this “Are you old enough to be traveling by yourself?”she nodded again,  _ good _ , he thought, he didn't wanted to be involved in a case of a minor disappearing. “Are you running from the law?” he said in a whisper and she looked surprised for a second but shook her head. “okay then, come, i'll buy you a ticket” she stared at him, as if considering if he was trustworthy and when the speakers said that the train was leaving in 15 minutes she hurried next to him and whispered “i don't have enough money” looking at the floor and fidgeting with her hands. Her voice was as beautiful and soft as the rest of her, _ stop it, you can not be thinking about this! _ . “i do” he smiled and told the man to charge him two 1st class tickets. She held onto her passport tightly and spoke again “i can not pay you this, in any way” he felt like there was a missing meaning to her words but let the thought go. “Look, we dont know eachother but unless you lied to me and are a criminal i get the feeling you are running away from something bad, i have the money, let me help you”. She was quiet for a second and the nodded her head, “thank you” she said with glossy eyes and left her passport in the counter.

After he paid for the tickets they went inside the station and hurried for the train. Their camarotes were next to each other and Vision opened her door for her. She clearly wasn't used to that, or to the first class, or to anything it seemed because she looked around with wide curious eyes and he felt a tug in his heart at her state. Her clothes, her hair, the purple bags under her eyes, her bruises...he shook his head as a shiver went down his spine. 

“So, this is your seat” he motioned “my name is Victor but everybody calls me Vision, nice to meet you” he held his hand for her to shake and she hesitated but finally shook it. He couldn't avoid noticing how small and vulnerable her hand felt or how the dark marks enveloped her tiny wrist, purple like her face. “Im Wanda” she said softly and swallowed nervously “thank you for your help”. 

She closed the door and he went inside his own space. 

As soon as he opened his laptop his head went to full work mode. He didn't stop until he heard someone knocking at his door, he bought some food from the cart and kept working. After 7 hours the train was finally slowing down and he looked outside his window only to remember it was late in the night. The train had departed Sokovia at 7pm and it had been dark already, partly because it was winter partly because of the raging storm outside. His eyes traveled to the wall dividing his camarote from the girl,  _ Wanda,  _ without his authorization. He remembered  her beautiful eyes and the fear and curiosity he saw in them, the way her wet and old clothes were clinging to her frame, how small and sad she looked. Without giving a second thought about it he stood up and was knocking on her door, suddenly nervous. 

“hey Wanda” he smiled “have you eaten? i bought some stuff from the cart but it is too much for me, would you like some?” She looked at him for a second then to her feet and to the sides, “im ok” she whispered “wait here please” she said, her accent strong. The girl went inside and he heard some shuffling and then she emerged holding an envelope with money “here, its not enough to pay for this ticket but it is enough to buy  _ a  _ ticket” she spoke slowly and thinking her words, clearly she wasn't used to speak english. “Thank you very much, but i can not accept your money, i am in no need of it, trust me, its perfectly fine” She seemed unsure “if you feel like you owe me..” he noticed how her eyes went wide with fear and her hands began shaking slightly where she was grabbing the door “you can help me eat all the food i bought” he continued quickly, not wanting to scare her further. She then gave him a small smile and he offered a bunch of food from his camarote that she took gratefully, Wanda thanked him with a shy smile. By the time they finished eating the train was arriving to the station. 

Vision felt something like desperation creeping inside him at the realization that Wanda was going to be out of his life soon,  _ you are crazy  _ he told himself  _  you just met her, actually no, you don't even know her _ . He wrote his personal phone in a piece of paper and waited for her to come out with her bag “hey Wanda, here, this is my phone, if you need anything please call me” she looked at him with big eyes “please” he said. He felt stupid begging like that, when had he beg for a girl to keep his number?  _ never.  _ She took the paper and fold it, putting it away in her pocket. His phone started ringing in that moment and he took the call, excusing himself. When the call ended he turned around but she was gone, he sighed and picked his light carry on and then jogged outside where his car was waiting for him. 


	2. New city, new challenges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos :)  
> Hope you like this second chapter, this is from Wanda's POV.
> 
> Again feel free to correct me if or share ideas if you think something does not seems right. 
> 
> :)

Wanda took a deep shaky breath and felt the cold winter air fill her. She was free, finally free. She should be scared, she knew, she was in  an unknown city in the middle of the night, in the middle of the winter to make things worse, and she had no friends, no contacts and no place to go. Instead she felt relieved. No one knew where she had gone, she had been learning english in secret for months before she had the courage to ran away and she had left her  _ home  _ following her work schedule to avoid any suspicion. She didn't took anything with her, just some books and pictures, her small savings, the clothes she owned and the passport that had arrived the day before at work.

She looked through the window and noticed it was snowing outside and so she stood in one of the station benches waiting for the sunrise, it wasn't the first time she would have to spent a night in the streets. Wanda smiled to herself thinking how lucky she had been to meet Vision, although she had mistrusted him at first he had paid her ticket and offered food and expected nothing in return. She felt hope for the first time in months, in years maybe, that there was still good people in the world. Wanda looked at his neat handwriting and remembered how she saw him practically running outside where a black tinted car was waiting for him, he obviously had money, she shivered at the thought. Men with money meant men with power and that was a terrible association in her mind.  She shook her head and focused on more important things, like where was she going to live and the fact that she needed to find a job to support herself. She thought maybe a good job would be waitressing, there were usually not a lot of requisites and she needed the tips but she was terrified to speak to new people and her hands shook way too much when she was nervous so that was not a good idea. 

When the morning came Wanda went to the bathroom and examined herself. She tidied her hair in a tight braid and cleaned her face. She grabbed the only make up she had, a concealer she had bought when she had  decided to ran, and applied it to the bruise on her face. It didn't covered everything but it was enough to keep the attention off of her, there was nothing she could do with the cut or her lip so she just cleaned that, flinching when the cold water touched her face. 

It was the first time in her life that Wanda was away from her country and she felt overwhelmed when she walked outside. London was a very alive city even in the early morning there were people everywhere and cars and movement inside the buildings. She spent the entire day walking around trying to find a job but wasn't successful. At one point in the afternoon she considered an open for a waitress but when she went inside the small office to be interviewed and a big tall man appeared and presented himself as the owner she froze in place and was unable to speak. She ran away like a wounded animal,  _ like the wounded traitor animal you are  _ she heard his voice loud and clear in her head but she kept running until she got to the train station, the only place she knew so far. 

Wanda felt her knees weaken at the exercise and remembered she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. She had some spare money since she had not paid for the train ticket so she bought some food inside the station and sat on a bench to eat it. The night was cold and lonely but she appreciated she had a roof above her head and the fact that the guards didn't seem to mind her being there. In the morning she repeated the process from the day before, trying to clean herself up the best way she could. 

Two more days went by like this and Wanda was feeling more and more afraid. Eventually she began questioning her original decision  _ was it a mistake to ran away? sure...he did things that weren't good but at least i  had a shower and food... _ She shook her head, no, she told herself, she would not doubt that. She needed to get away if she wanted to stay alive, if she wanted to live her life in freedom. She took a deep breath and went outside yet again, one more day in the hunt for a job. 

She decided to walk to the opposite side of the station to try her luck and began walking against the turmoil of people going downtown. 

It was the middle of the day when she spotted a small library and went inside, the heat and warmth hugging her instantly. She had always loved reading, amazed at the fact that a paper and a bunch of words could open up a world of possibilities and an escape from her ordinary life. The place was small and warm and the smell of books filled her with comfort. She had began reading the titles of some of the books when an old lady appeared from the back holding a huge box that seemed quite heavy for her to be carrying. 

“Let me help you with that” Wanda said with her thick accent while she took the box from the other woman's hands. She flinched a little when the weight pressed against her right arm, remembering the burn she had there.

“Oh thank you very much sweetheart!” The old lady said as she smiled warmly. 

Wanda spent the rest of her day helping Miss Heff, the librarian, clean and tidy the place and she felt more at peace than she had been in months. At the end of the day Olga followed her instinct and asked Wanda if she wanted to work there, having previously asked what was the young girl doing in her life.   


Olga was wise enough no to ask about the girl injuries or her past, noticing how wary she seemed and how her hands shook every time a male client entered the shop, that combined with her thick accent and her disheveled clothes the old woman was sure Wanda was a runaway and she wanted to help her. Wanda almost burst into tears when Olga offered her the job. The old woman smiled warmly and nodded, then began explaining her what was the job about, Olga hadn't been looking for an assistant but she had to admit it was good timing. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep up with everything the store demanded and she was behind doing her paperwork always favoring being in the front of her shop than in the back. 

Wanda cried as soon as she was out of the library but they weren't sad tears, they were happy ones. She clutched her backpack tightly smiling at her luck. She now only had to find somewhere to live, she couldn't keep living in the station, she needed a bathroom, minimum. Wanda sighed, she didn't have a cell phone and didn't wanted to go house hunting when it was already dark.Suddenly she felt afraid, having lowered her guard for a few blocks she felt carefree and that was not an option for her. She was thinking about that when someone called her name. Instantly she froze, making fists with her hands. 

 


	3. Accepting help is not weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos :D  
> Here is the 3rd chapter, after i re read it like 20 times i think i got what i wanted..sort of.

 

He left his office at an unusual time. Vision was almost always working late but this was a new record  for him. He touched his hair with his hands in a clearly nervous act and walked to the door staying inside the lobby to keep warm until his car arrived. He was absentmindedly watching through the large windows when he saw a familiar form walk by and unable to contain himself he went out and called her.

“Wanda!” he screamed and regretted it the second he saw the tension building up in her body, he jogged closer to her and she just stood there frozen with her back to him. “Wanda! i'm sorry, i didn't mean to scare you, it's good to see you” he said raising a hand to touch her shoulder but stopping himself just in time. Wanda turned around and flinched when she realized how close they were standing. She took two steps backwards and without raising her eyes she greeted him “ Hi, humm Vision” she said softly, some of the tension dissipating from her shoulders at the sight of the expression in his face. 

Vision frowned involuntary when he realized she was wearing the exact same clothes from days ago, her hair seemed dirtier also. The only thing different was that she was obviously wearing makeup cause it was impossible for that bruise to have healed in three days. 

“So, how are you finding London?” _she is clearly a runaway with no money and you are asking her that? seriously Vision? seriously?_ He ran a hand through his hair “sorry, i meant, how have you been?” he wasn't one to be nervous but could not avoid the feeling.  “Fine, and you?” she said unsure as to if she should be continuing the conversation. “Fine too, lots of work..” in that moment Friday, his assistant, showed up with the car. “Where are you going? i can give you a ride if you would like” he said smiling, trying not to sound like a creep.  Wanda’s cheeks turned wild red and she shook her head “im fine walking, thank you”. He thought  how beautiful she was once again and was not able to take his eyes off of her, off her small cold body. Vision closed his eyes to focus, “Its freezing cold and you dont have the appropriate clothes to be outside, please let me drive you” Vision was surprised at her expression, what was that? shame? fear? something else? he could not decipher her face. “Wanda? where are you staying?” he asked again but she didn't answer. “Thank you for your help, it was good to see you” she said quickly, the words catching in her throat as she turned around to keep walking. 

He had always followed his gut with people and he had a really bad feeling about this, he was debating himself about following her,  _ now you are a stalker, great,   _ he decided against it. Still he couldn't let her go like that… he checked the time, he was running late, perfect. 

“Wanda wait” he screamed after her, she stopped but didn't turned around and he walked closer to her “Wanda please, just listen to me” 

“why” she said, her voice barely registered above the city noise.

“I just...i just want to help okay?” 

“why?” she repeated turning around but  without looking at him. 

“i… honestly dont know i just do. You dont have to tell me where you are staying, or anything else, just promise me, if you need help you will call me.” he said that without thinking, he really didn't know why he felt that protective instinct, why he felt like he had to help her “please, just tell me you will call” he begged,  _ great this is the second time you are begging like an idiot to a person you don't even know, great, dad would be proud.  _ For the first time that night she looked at his eyes, as if searching, testing his honesty. “Thank you” she said and her lips almost tugged up in a smile, as soon as she spoke she turned around and kept walking. 

He stood there, watching her figure disappear in the night until he could not avoid his vibrating phone in his pocket anymore. 

“Kate...yes, yes, sorry, at the office...yes, in ten minutes, sure, sorry” Vision sighed. He had been dating Kate for a few weeks now but, as with all the women before her, it was leading nowhere. She was beautiful in a very obvious way, with her hair always perfect and her body in good shape. She was a lawyer and worked for her father so she handled her schedule the way she wanted, never missing a gym session or a beauty appointment. But she was...just that. The conversations with her were about the places they had both visited, the things they wanted to buy, everything always revolved around money and he was getting sick of it. Out of social pressure, he guessed, he had always dated a few women a year, the press loved it, or so his father said. They were public figures and it was good publicity to see them around town, specially him, who was 25 and a bachelor. 

Kate was waiting for him with a not very friendly expression when he arrived at the restaurant. He put out his best puppy face and approached the table with a shy smile. 

“Sorry, sorry, i got caught up in work and..”

“And you couldn't call me Victor? to let me know you were going to be” she checked her watch “an hour late to dinner?”  

“I'm sorry, my phone was on silence mode” He hated when people called him Victor.  

“Fine, whatever, lets just order” The dinner passed in silence, Kate was clearly not in a chatty mood. When the waiter brought the dessert Vision’s phone started vibrating on the table. He looked at the screen and didn't recognize the caller, odd, not a lot of people had that number. He reached for the phone but Kate was faster and she smiled wickedly at him.

“No no, you don't get to be late AND keep working” she said shaking a finger in front of him seductively. Vision suddenly realized the only person that had that number that he didn't already had as a contact and took the phone away from her hands harshly. “Do not do that again Kate” he said very serious and she catched the threat in the edge of his voice and stood quiet as he excused himself to make a call. 

He tried calling the number but it didn't work so he went for plan B, if he was correct, and was in fact Wanda calling he was sure she needed help, he suspected she wouldn't have called is she had had another choice. “Friday” he greeted “i need you to track the number that just called my personal phone” he heard the other guy typing away and in a few minutes he got the answer “it was from one of the payphones of the Paddington station, sir” He frowned confused, the station? she was at the station again? “is that all sir?” Friday´s voice distracted him from his line of thought “no, im going to need to go to Paddington right now, ill be waiting downstairs when you are ready”. 

Vision paid for their dinner before returning to the table to excuse himself with Kate. She was definitely mad now, he could tell but he couldn't bring himself to care. She was probably going to pretend this never happened and call him the next day anyways. 

 

Friday drove him to the station and the blonde ran inside the building but she was nowhere to be found. He looked around the place but saw no sign of Wanda. It was late and the place was pretty empty, no arrivals programmed in the next hours. Following a hunch he then approached one of the guards and asked if he had seen a woman with Wanda's characteristics, to his surprise the guard nodded “yes, the poor girl was staying here but today my supervisor showed up and we had to ask her to leave” Vision felt his chest constrict at the notion that she had been living there but couldn't dwell too much on that because the old man continued “its really cold outside and she wasn't hurting anyone! But its the law” he added as if defending himself from the angry expression on Vision´s face. 

“Did you see which way she went?” he asked harshly.

“I suggested her a coffee a block down, they are open 24/7 but im not sure if she went there…” Vision did not listened to anything else as he ran outside in the pouring rain and began walking to the cafe hoping she would be there. He looked around the place that appeared more like a bar than a coffee house and walked to the further table from the door where a hooded person was sitting, he recognized her light jacket and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

“Wanda” he said relieved as he sat in front of her. She looked up at him with a weird expression, her green eyes were wide,  like she was surprised he was there.

“Im sorry i didn't picked up my phone” Vision said examining her face, “Are you okay?”. He almost flinched at the sight of her tired eyes and the bruise since she was not wearing makeup.

“Its okay, im okay yes” she said softly, “how did you find me?” Wanda added looking around as if searching for an easy exit. He shifted in his seat uncomfortable “I traced the call” she seemed very surprised at this but kept quiet.

“Wanna eat something? i'm starving” he lied and changed the subject, he needed her to trust him if he was going to help her back on her feet. Vision raised his hand without waiting for her answer and in a second a busty blonde showed up and gave them a weird look. “Hi miss, we would like to order some food, please” he said politely without taking his eyes from Wanda´s. 

“What do you want?” he said smiling and she hesitated. 

“I...i..i don't know” her eyes were suddenly watery and he felt like his stomach had been kicked looking at the pain and indecision in her features. “Do you like burgers?” he offered and she nodded without making eye contact. 

“Okay, 2 burgers with fries please, just some water for me, Wanda?” her eyes grew big as if she wasn't expecting the question “water is fine” she whispered. He sent Friday a text telling him it would be a while and looked back at the small woman sitting in front of him. There were so many things he wanted to know about her that it frighten him,  _ i just wanna help her, she is in trouble, i can help, nothing more  _ he reassured himself.

“So, Wanda” he began, unsure of what was safe territory “how old are you? Please don't tell me you lied and i helped a minor escape her country” She gave him a shy smile and grabbed her hands in front of her on the table. 

“I just turned 20 so you are fine” she said with a small smile playing on her lips, her voice was soft and sweet and he began to think this was a terrible idea altogether but there was no turning back now. He was hypnotized by the way she played with her hands while she spoke, the way her eyelashes moved when she blinked, the redness of her lips... _ stop it Victor. _ Unsure of how to follow the conversation she asked “How old are you?” 

“Im 25 but feel like 40” she chuckled at that and he thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world, “ouch” he said pretending to be hurt and her cheeks turned pink.

“Sorry i just meant...you dont look older than 25” she said nervously rubbing her hands together. 

“No worries, i was just kidding. I work a lot that's why i feel older” he clarified and she half nodded but kept quiet after that. They stood in silence until the food arrived and they ate in silence too. He was surprised at how little she ate but chose not to say anything. 

 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked when she was clearly not eating anymore and her brows jerked up. 

“What?” she asked with a shaky small voice. 

“Well...you called me when they told you you couldn't stay in the station anymore, right?” her features transformed to a picture of shame and fear and gave him a half nod. “Its okay, im glad you called” 

He could feel how uncomfortable she was having this conversation but he didn't see any other way. 

“You don't deserve to be living like this”

“You dont know that” she spoke with unshed tears in her eyes “you don't know anything about me” 

“I know your name is Wanda and you are a 20 year old runaway and that's enough. Everybody deserves a chance in life Wanda, let me help you. I promise i don't expect anything in return” 

She played with her fingers and it took all he had not to reach out and hold her small hands in his. 

“I found a job” she said slowly and it was his turn to be surprised. “i just…” she choked back a sob “i just need some place to stay until i find something...somewhere to live, it won't be long” he felt sad at how much it took for her to tell him that. 

“That is great, where are you going to work?” he was prepared not to like the answer, imagining her dressed as the blonde that had waitressed on them and gave her a bright smile when she told him. That was good, a quiet library an old lady as a coworker...  _ stop worrying about her _ ..but he couldn't, he didn't wanted to. 

“Its late, its going to be hard to find somewhere to sleep tonight, you can stay with me until you find something” he said calmly, trying not to feel hurt by the wary and suspicious look her features showed “I have an empty bedroom in my condo, it has its own bathroom and everything” he added hopeful “and its walking distance to your work”. His mind was working fast, prepared to offer other options because he knew there was no way she would be sleeping in a bench again.  _ I wont let that happen,  _ he nodded to himself confidently.

Wanda stared at his hand for what it felt like an eternity, shifting in her seat clearly weighing on her decision. Finally she nodded and his smile grew brighter. “Perfect! ill call Friday, my assistant that is” 

“You have a driver” she stated and he frowned “yes..?” It occurred to him in that moment that she didn't know who he was and that made him happy. For the first time in ages a woman was not judging him by his last name or the money in his bank account. 

“He is here, ready?” Vision asked and out of habit offered his hand to her but her hands clenched in fists again and he put his down awkwardly.

 

The rain had gotten worse and Wanda was freezing by the time they got to the car. Noticing how her shoulders were shaking Vision took off his coat and set it on her small frame smiling at the way it covered almost her entire body. He let her in his car first and he followed suit. 

“Friday this is Wanda, Wanda Friday” Vision said nonchalantly when they were all inside. 

Wanda said hi with a terrified expression in her face, her entire body seemed to be emanating anxiety. Vision guessed she was regretting her decision and felt sorry for her but was also determined to help, if only because he wanted to hear her laugh again. 

 

“Has someone seen that cut?” he said out loud without thinking.

“What do you mean?” she asked uncertain.

“I mean a doctor, it looks like …”

“Im fine” she cut him harshly and was the first time he didn't hear softness in her voice. 

“Im just saying..it will heal a lot faster if you let a doctor take a look at that” 

“I cant afford it” she simply said and he rolled his eyes.

“Im not your responsibility” Wanda said seriously and Vision saw how her face hardened. 

“Fine” he agreed “you will have a scar”

“I have worse ones” she whispered and he almost missed the angry edge in her voice.

The rest of the trip went by in silence. Getting her to trust him was not going to be an easy task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Wanda's actions might seem out of character, i mean as a victim of abuse probably she wouldn't trust the first person to walk by but at the same time Vision already helped her and she is in a complicated situation so lets pretend she weighed on her options and accepting his help was the best one. Plus i really wanted to start writing them together. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked it and feedback is always appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! :D   
> I meant to upload this sooner but i have been busy. Since this is pretty short ill try to upload the next one later today. Its already writen. 
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated :)!   
> have a good day!

His house was nothing like she had seen before. For starts it was huge, just the living room was as big as the department she had lived with her family as a child. The decoration was modern but classy and everything seemed to match perfectly. Wanda stood by the door observing her surroundings with wide eyes, clutching her backpack tightly in front of her. 

“Your house is...beautiful” she said amazed. 

_ So are you _ were the first words in Vision´s mind but he didn't verbalize them. His house was not half of what could have been given the amount of money he had but he wasn't ostentatious. Trying to distract himself from the fact that she was there he pointed to a hallway “Im sure you would like to rest, follow me”. He opened a door and motioned for her to go in, admiring the way she walked, curious and uncertain.

“You can stay here as much as you like, in that closet you will find towels and a robe and that door is the bathroom” he smiled at the bewildered expression on Wanda’s face. Quickly she took his coat off her shoulders and hold it for him to grab. 

“Thank you” she said with a shy smile, her emerald eyes focused on her feet.  

He took it smiling too, tempted to touch her hair, disentangle the wet strands that were sticking to her forehead.

 “I don't want to intrude in your business but do you have to work tomorrow?"  Wanda finally met his eyes and he saw how tired she was.

“No, i start on monday” she answered in a low voice. 

“Great so no alarms because i don't have to work tomorrow either! My room is the one at the end of the hall feel free to call me if you need anything, good night Wanda” Vision said happily, trying to cheer her up. Her eyes filled with tears and she just nodded, not trusting her voice to talk. Vision walked away with a smile, Wanda had accepted his help and for some reason that meant the world to him,  _ because you are obsessed with her.  _

She showered and put on a fluffy robe to wash her clothes on the sink. The hot shower and clean robe relaxed her and after she finished washing her stuff she laid down on the bed, feeling the soft comforter engulf her. 

Vision seemed like a good person, but so was Baron when she first met him. Thoughts of everything that had happened to her in the last few years filled her head and she promised herself once again she would not let anybody else hurt her.  _ No more. _ Sure, Vision appeared to be nice but maybe it was all a facade, it could be, he was rich enough to do whatever he wanted but instead there he was, offering help to her, a skinny, damaged sokovian girl. She shook her head, maybe he was good..maybe he wasn't  _ you have other things to worry about Wanda  _  she told herself. 

She barely slept that night, being there wasn't much better than the station for her nerves. Sure, the bed was comfy and big, the sheets smelled like fresh laundry and the robe was like a caress on her battered body but she could not forget she was in a stranger’s house and nobody in the world knew where she was. If he was a lunatic that wanted to torture her and kill her well...this was the perfect scenario. She shifted in bed and held her knees, waiting for the safety of the sun to come up. 

Wanda got up at 7am not standing being in bed any longer. Her clothes had not dried yet and she sighed. She stood there looking at the window at the quiet saturday morning, letting the warmth of the room calm her. At 9 she heard Vision walk by and she checked her clothes again, they were not entirely dry but good enough. Wanda got dressed and took a deep breath before opening her door and walked outside. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i meant to upload this yesterday but couldnt so here it is! :) 
> 
> Hope you like it! Thanks for the feedback!   
> Have a great Fridaaay :D

Vision saw her door closed when he got up and thought Wanda was still asleep but as soon as he made it to the kitchen she appeared behind him, eyes glued to the floor, clothes wrinkled and hair in a messy ponytail.

“ Good morning, Wanda” he frowned at her appearance, it looked like she had barely slept at all “Rough night? was the bed okay? you look tired” he said confused. He had to grab his hands behind his back not to reach out and comfort her while she looked so small and vulnerable.

“I usually have trouble sleeping, the bed was great, thank you” 

“How long have you been awake?” 

“Don't know, a few hours…”

“Aren't you starving?” She didn't get the chance to answer that question because someone else showed up behind her at the kitchen door. 

“Good morning Mr. Stark i set the…” Wanda turned around at the sound and and found an older lady eyeing her carefully. The woman then looked at Vision with a reprobatory expression and Wanda stood there surprised  _ Stark?  _ she frowned, he was a Stark?  _ He is not just rich, he is a millionaire.   _   


“It's not what you are thinking Marie, Wanda is just a friend” Wanda blushed scarlet at the implication of those words. “Marie this is Wanda, Wanda Marie, Marie is my housekeeper” he said and Wanda nodded nervously “Nice to meet you Marie”. The older woman looked between her and Vision, suspicion all over her face.

“Nice to meet you too sweetie,  _ Vision _ ” she turned accusatory “a word? Wanda, dear, eat whatever you want for breakfast, we will be right back” Marie smiled warmly at her and Wanda nodded. 

 

“Vision, what did you do to the poor girl? ran over her?” 

“What?” he sounded hurt “do you think i did that to her?” 

“Well, not on purpose that's for sure, but as an accident, you can be  very absent minded when you are absorbed in your things” Marie rolled her eyes. Of course she would never think he was capable of hurting someone like that. 

“I am not!” he defended himself “she was already injured when i met her” he looked at the wall uncomfortable, he felt like a child all over again. 

“Fine, what happened to her?” 

“I’m...not sure, my first guess is that she is running away from an abusive home” Vision said sadly and Marie smiled in return. He had always been like that, eager to help and protect whoever needed a caring hand. “I met her in Sokovia, during my trip and well…”

 

“She needed help and  you volunteered, i can picture that” the housekeeper said “ has she been to a doctor yet?” Marie spoke as she calmed herself down. 

“No, she refused to” The older woman frowned not happy with that answer. 

“If we are going to help we are going to do it right, maybe you weren't clear enough” she said grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the kitchen where they found Wanda standing in the same exact spot where they had left her. 

“Wanda a doctor needs to see that cut” Marie said authoritatively, not in a mean way but in a motherly way. Wanda shook her head slowly “Wanda, look at me” the older woman said and the younger one obeyed “Vision, would you leave us alone, please?” Vision frowned unsure “now, please”. He nodded and closed the door behind him. 

 

“Don't be afraid of him, he is a sweet man, who did this to you?” Marie said sadly examining her face without touching it, the sokovian girl just stood there “did he...do other things to you?” Wanda’s eyes filled with tears, all she wanted to do was run and pretend none of this was happening. “Wanda?” Marie asked softly and the girl nodded. “Okay now, i'm going to call a doctor to come check on you okay?” Wanda’s eyes panicked.

“No i..i” 

“Its okay, i'll make sure is a woman, is that fine?” Wanda just stood there with a resigned expression and Marie took that as a good sign. 

Vision called one of his closest friends, Dr Helen Cho to come check on his guest. Since Helen had the day off she showed up minutes after the call. Vision explained the situation keeping some things to himself,  _ like the fact you are a creep and practically forced her to come to your house.  _

 

Forty five minutes later Helen emerged from the room Wanda was staying in with a trash bag and some prescriptions. She looked sorrowful but didn't say anything until they were in the kitchen. 

 

“That is some brave woman” she whispered “could you please buy this for her?” she handed Marie a few prescriptions. “It's too late to close the gap on her forehead but with some healing ointment it will heal faster, there is a lotion for the bruises and she has a” she swallowed “a burn that concerns me in her arm” the doctor said shaking her head  “Anyways she should be cleaning that up regularly or she will get an infection” 

Vision felt the air leave his lungs and nodded sadly while he walked Helen to the door. 

“Vision” his friend whispered “she is not...like the girls you..pursue, she does not need your drama” He couldn't hide the offense and hurt in his expression. 

“Look, i know you are a good guy but..i didn't mean it like that, it just you always seem to go after...” Vision didn't want to listen anymore so he interrupted her while she was at the threshold.

“Thank you for coming so fast, i'll let you know how she is doing, good bye Helen” He closed the door before she could say anything else. 

 

Vision felt a lump in his throat as he leaned on the door, why was this affecting him so much? He walked slowly to the guest room, _to Wanda’s room._ He knocked softly before going in and found her sitting next to the window. She was wearing a shirt and he felt physically ill at the sight of her arms and the multicolor bruises that covered them. Her right arm, he noticed had white bandages around it. 

“Wanda?” she turned around with a blank expression on her face “sorry i know you didn't...” 

“Its okay” she interrupted him “it's fine really, i know i can be really stubborn sometimes and i guess meeting Helen wasn't so bad after all” she smiled shyly at him and he smiled back. Again he could not avoid thinking how beautiful she was, how her hair cascaded on her shoulders and shone with the morning sun, they way her green eyes sparkled when she was calm.  _ What kind of animal could hurt someone as nice as Wanda? if i ever find who did this..  _ He shook his head, that was a dangerous path.

“Wanna go eat breakfast?” he asked, diverting his own thoughts, smiling at the way she seemed to be more at ease around him. 

 

They spent the morning in the house, Vision told her stories about his life and she listened quietly. He told her about being the only heir to the Stark fortune and how it had affected him growing up. He had had a very different upbringing than hers and Wanda was fascinated with the way he spoke. His voice was soothing and his humor quick. Vision never asked her about her past and she was thankful for that. 

At 4pm he checked his watch and was surprised at the time, he sighed audibly and she frowned slightly.

“Sorry, i just...there is somewhere i need to be in an hour and i cant cancel it” she looked at him amused.

“Vision” she dragged his name with her accent and he felt a shiver go down his back “you don't have to apologize to me, i'm the one disturbing your life” 

He smirked  _ you are definitely disturbing my life but not in a bad way.  _

“Well i should go get ready, feel free to explore the house or do anything you want” he smiled warmly and she nodded but she knew she was going to spend the rest of her day in the room he had offered. 

He went to his room and took a cold shower, his senses were on fire after spending the day with Wanda even though nothing had happened. He was certain, more than before, that all he wanted was for her to be happy and at peace, for her to be safe. Seeing her eyes while he spoke, and the way her body responded to his stories, leaning closer, almost indistinguishable, just a few inches, more and more relaxed as the day went on, but he noticed. He noticed and now he could not get her out of his head. _  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks readers for your feedback :)!!! i appreciate it a LOT! 
> 
> Here is the next chapter!

Wanda’s door was closed when he was leaving so he didn't see her on his way out but he spent the night thinking about her. Even though Kate was in the event, and as he had anticipated she was pretending the night before never happened, he could not stop musing about Wanda. When Kate greeted him with a kiss he wondered what it would be like to kiss the sokovian runaway, when he held Kate´s hand and waist it just felt wrong, like it was the wrong body he was touching.

The night went by with superficial talks and lots of drinks. At the end Kate jumped in his car with him and he accepted her while Helen’s words rang in his head  _ she doesn't need your drama _ . He knew, rationally, that Wanda didn't need more drama in her life. He understood she was in a vulnerable place and a relationship was probably the last thing on her mind, but he could not get the idea off his head. Somehow she had a pull that he hadn't felt with anyone else, in just a few days she had captivated him without even trying to and he wanted to know everything about her.

Shaking his head he let Kate sat on his lap and bite his lower lip to entice a reaction from him. They kissed passionately on the back seat, Vision’s hands roaming through her body, under her dress and on her bare back, the alcohol on his system allowing him to pretend the woman on top of him was someone else. 

Things kept heating up until she moaned his name and that woke him up from the hazy state he had fallen in. It sounded wrong, something was missing, but he could not pinpoint what and he pulled away pretending to be suddenly tired. 

“Sorry, Friday, let's drop Miss Borough first” He said while he positioned himself with his hands on his thighs. 

“What?” Kate asked startled, clearly not happy with his comment “what's the matter honey? weren't you having fun? lets go to my place if you want, we can have our own party there” she purred in his ear and he felt pressure build inside his pants at the implication. If it was something that Kate was good at was in seducing her men but when she reached out to touch him he stopped her hand. “Sorry Kate, really i'm not in the mood”.

“This is not the mood?” she said motioning at him in a clearly mocking tone “i know what you want” she tried to go for his lips again but he moved his head to the side. 

“No, you dont, look i don't want to fight, let's just go to sleep okay?”

"Whatever Victor, im getting tired of your stupid games"

She went back to a normal position, sitting as far away from Vision as the car allowed her and looked out the window the rest of the ride. Kate left his car without even a goodbye and he sighed.  _ There goes another relationship huh?  _ He thought as he closed his eyes shut and leaned his head back to rest it against the headrest. 

“Let's go home Friday”he barely listened to the “Yes sir” that followed. 

 

Vision got home tired and frustrated. He slammed the door to release some steam before remembering he had a guest, he cursed under his breath at his impulsive behavior _.  _ Wanda’s light was on when he walked by and he felt guilty for waking her,  _ or you just want an excuse to see her _ . He knocked softly and satisfaction began bubbling inside him at the realization that she was there and not in his imagination like it had been during his entire evening.

“Wanda? sorry, did i wake you?” He spoke in a low voice, there were small noises coming from inside and in a few seconds she opened the door just a little bit. Her expression was pained and her long wavy hair covered most of her pretty face. 

“No, i was awake before you arrived” 

“Is something wrong?” he asked worried at her expression and how strained her voice sounded.

“I couldn't sleep and then my arm was bothering me” she motioned to her side “how was your party?” he smiled bitterly at that. 

“Meh...same old same old” Wanda’s brow furrowed in confusion “sorry, i meant that it's always the same in those events and they get boring over time” 

“oh..im sorry” he felt his heart warm at the way she appeared to be really sorry for something so silly. He searched his brain trying to find something to continue the conversation but nothing came up so he just ran his hands through his hair and headed to his room.

“Okay so...i'm going to bed, hope you get a good night rest” he turned around to leave but she whispered his name. When he faced her again she had moved a bit and was staring at her feet clearly uncomfortable, half of her body was still behind the door. 

“Could you mmm could you help me with…”she swallowed nervously while she pulled her arm from where she was hiding it and Vision froze. There was a patch of raw skin in her right  arm and the tissue around it was bloody and blistered. At his shocked expression she quickly concealed it behind the door again and spoke with a shaky voice.

“Sorry, sorry, i don't know what i was thinking sorry, please just pretend i didn't said anything” Wanda pleaded frantically. 

He stood there a few seconds processing the horrible feeling he had rising in his chest, in his entire body.  _ Im going to kill the bastard who did this.  _ She attempted to close the door but he put his hand in it, snapping out of his stunned state. 

“No its okay, you want me to help you clean that up?” he said with the most reassuring voice he could muster. She met his eyes, trying to read in them if he was being serious.

“Yes please” she said clearly embarrassed, her voice barely above a whisper “its just...in a weird place and i can not put the bandage correctly” Wanda was evidently ashamed by it and Vision's heart shrank inside his chest. 

“Just tell me what you need and ill do it” he smiled honestly at her, hoping to show her she could trust him with the task.  It worked and she opened her door wider so he could come in.

While he was cleaning the wound with the implements Helen had left he was surprised no tears appeared in her face. Vision studied her carefully, sure her factions were scrunched in pain but she  wasn't crying.

“Wow you can tolerate pain” he said without thinking and regretted the second he felt the tension that filled her body. “What happened here?” Vision asked softly applying a thick lotion to a gauze pad.

“I don't want to talk about it” Her answer wasn't a surprise but he just had to ask. 

“What do you  _ wanna  _ talk about?” 

“Nothing” 

“Fine” he yielded. She had done enough for now, he didn't want to push her.

After that she only spoke to give him instructions and thanked him when he was done. On his way out of the bathroom he spotted her wet clothes hanging from a chair.

“You know, you can use the washing machine for that” he said motioning to them “Marie taught me how to do it, i can teach you if you want” he said proudly and her features softened a little.  

“That would be very helpful, thank you” Wanda gave him a small smile while she closed her door and Vision turned around as a blush crept up on his face. 

  
He left the room with a warm spark in his chest. She had asked for his help and he had actually been useful.  _ She asked me, she wanted my help.  _ He smiled widely to himself and went to bed happy, the night had ended much better than he had expected. 


	7. Baby steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your feedback :D   
> i love reading the comments! I have posted what were originally two chapters together in order to make them longer. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay!   
> hope you like it!

The night was not better than the one before for Wanda and she woke up tired and in pain. Helen had removed the first layer of skin on her arm to clean the burn and she felt like her arm was on fire again. She took a deep breath before pulling herself out of bed,  _ God its going to be hard when i leave this place,  _  she thought. She took a quick hot shower and went to the kitchen. 

The place was empty and Wanda felt nervous being there alone. She was going back to her room when Vision opened up his door wearing only boxers and yawning. Immediately she felt her cheeks burn red at the sight. She eyed him up from his toned legs to his torso noticing the sleepy expression on his face. She saw how his face turned red too but he stood there frozen staring at her.  In that instant her arm sent her an acute pain and she cleared her thoughts moving closer to her room in a rush. 

“Good morning” she said quickly avoiding his eyes and shut her door. 

Vision stood there and then sighed, for a minute he thought...  _ what? that Wanda was going to jump to your arms? _ . He got dressed and knocked on her door to invite her over for breakfast, hoping he hadn't messed up the fragile friendship they had achieved. She agreed and followed him in silence, never meeting his eyes. 

“How did you sleep Wanda?” he wanted her comfortable again, or it was more of a need actually. He wondered what it would be like to wake up next to her, caressing her arms in a soft motion, running his hands in her long hair. Her voice interrupted his train of thought.  

“Okay, you?” she answered murmuring. 

“Fine too” He took a few moments to observe her while he set the coffee maker, not knowing what else to say without disturbing her. She sat down in the chair closer to the door, he knew it wasn't a coincidence. Her hair was loose and shiny, a chocolate shade of brown that made a lovely contrast with her pale face. It covered almost  entirely her bruise that was turning a dark shade of green now. The rest of her features showed a fake calm expression, her hands were neatly resting on the table but her pose was too stiff to be relaxed. She was too straight, sitting too near the edge, her back not touching the back of the chair. He frowned, he wanted to understand her. She was still a stranger but he would do anything in his power to change that. 

“Wanda?” finally she looked up “what can you tell me about yourself?” she tilted her head as if measuring her answer.

She knew that eventually he was going to start asking questions, after all she was a total stranger staying in his house, if the situation were different Wanda thought she would have actually judged him for that. She was glad Vision had been nice enough not to pressure her to tell him about specific things rather just asking her whatever she felt ready to share, which wasn't much. 

“My last name is Maximoff, i was born and raised in Novi Grad, the city where we met. My parents died when we..”she shook her head and Vision frowned at the small mistake “when i was 10 in the Sokovian civil war” she was staring at him intently, not wanting to say anything else. He kept quiet analyzing his next question. 

“What do you like to do in your free time?” he asked feeling silly, like it was a job interview but still he smiled at the fact that she was finally opening up a little bit. He decided not to pressure her about what she had said and instead picked and easy subject. 

“I love reading” her eyes grew bright and her face lit up “i'm excited about working for miss Heff, surrounded by books everyday” He smiled too, her sudden happiness was contagious.  _ You are screwed Victor Stark  _ he told himself. Never in his life he had felt the pull that this woman had on him and he barely knew her. He shivered at how much power she had on him and how much could her achieve if only... _ If nothing. She needs a friend.  _ He nodded at himself yes, she needed a friend not a romantic  _  obsessed  _ candidate. 

“You okay?” she asked nervously and he scratched his head, his thoughts had distracted him from the conversation.

“Yes, yes sure, sorry my mind was on the clouds” she shifted in her seat, hiding her hands under her thighs. 

“Sorry, my life it's not that interesting” her voice  sounded sad. 

“On the contrary, i think it is fascinating” he said encouragingly and her lips turned upwards showing a small shy smile. 

 

The day went by uneventful. Vision turned off both his landline and his cell phone, the only thing he wanted was to learn everything he could about  _ Wanda Maximoff.  _ And he did learnt a lot of little things, like she liked color red but didn't like red roses, her favourite book was Pride and Prejudice, she wanted to study Literature but the situation of her country made that impossible. He was enchanted by little quirks she had, like the way her cute brows would knot when she could not find the word she wanted to say in english, or the way her eyes would shut forcefully when she said more than she intended. He liked her hands, small and delicate and the way she moved them around when she explained something. He was sure his heart skipped a beat when he told her a funny story and she laughed showing her dimples. Vision was positive no other woman had enticed this range of  emotions within him, Wanda was special and he was eager to find out how many new things this sokovian girl would make him feel. He never asked anything specific and she didnt mention what had pushed her to run away but it was fine, he reasoned, she needed baby steps and he was ready to wait.  


Vision was disappointed when he checked his watch and saw it was already dinner time. After consulting it with her he ordered some pizza and thought about just how normal it felt to have Wanda there. To ask her what she wanted to have for dinner or teach her how to use the washing machine. He was in an unknown territory, he had never been in a relationship that allowed this kind of..normalcy.  _ And you still haven't since you are not in a relationship with Wanda and this is far from normal _ . He rolled his eyes at himself and went back to where the object of his thoughts was sitting. 

“Would you like some help with your arm?” he asked unsure and smiled at the grateful expression on her face. 

“If it is not much trouble yes, please”. After they were done the food arrived and they had dinner talking more freely. 

Vision gave her an alarm clock, explaining that his day began pretty early so they probably wouldn't see each other in the morning. He also offered her a ride to work (well he offered Friday) but she insisted she wanted to walk. He worried about her clothes and her safety but didn't said anything, he knew it wasn't his place. 

Instead he wished her good luck on her first day and fought the instinct to hug her. She smiled brightly and wished him a good day.  

  
  


x.x.x

 

Wanda slept a little better than the previous nights. For the first time in months she felt hope, that maybe her future would be better than her past. That also meant she was getting comfortable in Vision´s house and that was probably not a good thing, she had to stay alert, had to keep herself safe. After she showered and got dressed she walked outside her room quietly. 

“Good morning Wanda sweetie” Marie spoke from the other end of the hall and she jumped “Oh sorry, i did not meant to scare you!” 

“Its okay, good morning Marie, how are you?” Wanda said trying to even her breath and the shaking of her hands.

“Fine fine dear, you?” the woman said leaving the things she was holding on a chair in the hall “come with me to the kitchen, i'll make you breakfast” 

“Oh no, that is...no, thank you Marie but i have to go to work” The older woman eyed her carefully.

“Wanda you can not go to work without eating anything” Wanda smirked at her worry, she knew how much her body could go without real food. 

“Do not worry about me, im fine” she said and she attempted to walk away but Marie stood in front of her. 

“Grab something to go then?” the woman pleaded and Wanda smiled at her good intentions. 

“Fine, can i have a fruit then?” she said and she felt a blush creep up her neck, she did not like the idea of living for free.She ate the apple that Marie gave her on her way to work and was thankful that the sun was up and it wasn't as cold as before. 

 

Her day was nice, she thought while she was tidying up to close the store. Not a lot of people came by, she had been able to control her panicking around most male clients and her arm was not burning anymore. Olga Heff was a sweet person, patient and calm. The old lady explained everything softly to Wanda and made sure she always understood before moving to next task. Mrs Heff closed the store one hour for lunch but Wanda said she was fine and didn't needed to eat, the woman gave her a suspicious look but just nodded. 

The day had turned really cold by the time she began her walk to Vision’s house and she was freezing when she got to the door. Wanda closed her eyes in defeat when she finally made it, seeing the house dark and empty she realized she didn't know Vision’s time of arrival and neither did she had a key to his house, of course. She sat on the stone step on the front door but it was icy and she knew from her experience if she stood immobile the cold would become too much to bear. She got up and moved her legs as if to return the feeling to her feet and toes and walked away from the house. She walked in the direction of the library, remembering seeing a market a few blocks back.

When Wanda arrived at what appeared to be a small supermarket she could barely feel her toes and her fingers were dangerously red. The two cashiers working there gave her a suspicious look and she faced the floor. She knew what they were thinking but she was freezing and it was not time to pity herself. She walked around the isles feeling the stare of other clients and  employees as well, making her feel like  _ the trash you are, like the traitor whore trash you are  _ Baron voice completed the thoughts in her head. Her eyes filled with tears but she kept looking at the products on the shelves, she had to wait until she regained feeling in her extremities, she knew, and then she would be ready to face the cold again and wait for Vision to arrive. She crossed her arms on her chest at that, she hated depending on Baron and now she was letting another man do the same thing. 

That's the way it started, he took care of her in her time of need and then….when she trusted him he let the monster out knowing she had no escape, knowing she had no one else,  _ but you did escape and this time you know better  _ she reassured herself, she would not make the same mistake again. As soon as she had her 1st paycheck she would thank Vision for his hospitality and she would leave his house for good. Wanda paid for the apples she had picked up and walked outside feeling the relieve that flooded the rest of the people that were in the store. 

If it was possible it was even colder outside, she guessed it was near 8pm and sighed. She held onto her pack and the apples in front of her trying to protect her chest from the wind that was blowing. 

When she was a block away from the house a dark car coming from that direction abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and when a door opened she felt her heart in her throat in panic. Wanda moved her head in every direction trying to decide which way to run when Vision called her name while he jogged near her. 

 

“Wanda! thank God you are fine!” he said getting closer to her but she just stood there trying to control her breathing  _ it's just Vision, breathe Wanda it's just Vision. _

“I was so worried” he opened his arms as if to hug her but stopped the movement when he catched the expression of her face. She looked terrified and he realized he hated that look on her pretty features. “Wanda? are you okay?” She frowned and took a deep breath.

“I'm fine, thank you” she said but could not avoid the chattering of her teeth. 

“You are freezing! here” Vision said worried as he took his coat and draped it across her shoulders, she flinched at the contact but fell instantly warmer.  

“Better?” she gave him a half nod, engulfed in his perfume and warmth she felt her heart rate go back to normal.  _ Interesting.  _

 

“Ready to go home?” she nodded again and followed him to his car and was surprised when he opened the passenger door for her. 

“Where is Friday?” she asked confused. 

“He went home already but i was...i got worried when i arrived at the house and you weren't there” he admitted shyly, his eyes facing forward avoiding her curious stare. 

“Well you weren't there when i got to your house either” she said softly and he turned to look at her for a second before parking his car in the garage.

“At what time did you finish work?”

“6pm” she answered simply, as if it wasn't a big deal.

“6pm? that what hours ago!” he said in a louder tone that he meant and saw her shrink in the seat almost imperceptibly.

“Sorry i meant, what happened then?” 

“I didn't have a key to go in” she stated and he sighed  _ of course Victor how was she supposed to go inside? _

“Right, sorry ill make you a copy” at that she seemed really surprised. 

“What? no, there is no need really” Wanda said holding both hands in front of her “ill be gone in a few weeks anyway”. 

“What? What….do you mean?” She told him about her plan to leave his house as soon as she cashed her first paycheck and she could not understand the expression in his face. He wanted to tell her a lot of things in that moment but took a deep breath and nodded,  _ this is not the right time _ . Without saying anything else he descended from the car and waited for her holding the door. 

 

Vision was frustrated and thought about missing dinner but the desire to be around Wanda won and he found himself knocking at her door. 

 

“Wanda? are you hungry?” he asked and waited. After a few minutes Wanda opened her door with a shy smile and nodded. They had dinner in a comfortable silence and wished each other good night.

The next day when she left work Friday was waiting for her outside the library. She tried but could not find the strength inside her to be mad at Vision.


	8. Chapter 8

The first week went by fast. Vision was almost always busy after work and Wanda spent her afternoons studying english by reading books and trying to find a place to live. She had discovered that, unsurprisingly, the area where she was staying was very expensive and she could not afford to live near work. 

Vision had offered her a notebook to do the searches and at first she had declined but eventually, with red cheeks and nervous eyes she had tanked him and borrowed one of his computers. By friday night she had a few options that she would like to check but were too far away to go after work so she decided she would go during the weekend.   


Wanda woke up saturday feeling drained and tired after an awful nightmare that was too real to dismiss immediately. She took a shower with water that was too hot to be healthy but helped with her contracted muscles and even though she wanted to cry no tears fell from her eyes. She ate one of her apples and got ready to check the locations she had seen online trying to memorize the map of the places in her head. 

Vision’s door was still closed when she was leaving and she felt unsure about leaving a note or something, would he worry about her? would he wondered where she was? following her gut she took one of the papers that were near the phone and wrote “ _ Vision, i went out to find a house, hope you have a good day, Wanda”  _ She clenched her hands in fists in a nervous act, was it the right thing to do? she owed him no explanation  _ but you do, he is helping you, putting a roof on your head, being nice and attentive.  _ The conflict inside her was settled then and she left the note on the kitchen counter and ran outside. 

The places that she visited were on the other side of town and nothing like Vision’s house, more like the buildings she had lived back in Sokovia. A shiver ran down her spine remembering that. But she had no right to Vision’s kindness or money and so she nodded and with her head high went to the first apartment complex. It was dirty and small but good enough for her, the rent was cheap and it would take only one train to get to work. Wanda wrote down her thoughts in a piece of paper and went on to the next option.

She kept visiting apartments for rent until she was too cold and too hungry to keep going. It was getting dark and the neighborhood was changing into something scarier. She didn't wanted to think about that, Wanda knew living there o somewhere like that was her only option for independence.  

She walked slowly from the train station to Vision’s house analysing her options. She was relieved his car was already there when she arrived, she was too cold already to wait outside for him. She knocked on the door softly but no one answered. Nervously she knocked harder and Vision opened it, a smile spreading in his face at the sight of her. 

“Wanda! You don't have to knock, come in come in, how was your day?” he cheered, not hiding the grin that grew in his face at the sight of her. 

“Hi Vision” instantly she felt calm, smiling at his positive energy “fine, and yours?”   


“Boring, i had to work in the morning and now i have a fundraiser dinner” he rolled his eyes playfully, an overdramatic expression accompanying his answer, and Wanda giggled despite herself. It was odd, she thought, they way he made her feel like everything was alright with a simple comment.

“Well have fun then” she said blushing and hurried inside the house, not paying attention at the way that Vision´s face had softened at her reaction. 

About an hour later Vision knocked on her door wearing a dark grey suit that complemented his blue eyes perfectly, with his short blonde hair tidied to a side and a smile that took her breath away. She had of course noticed how tall he was but in his suit he looked even taller. The fabric seemed soft and it enveloped his body flawlessly, there was not a single wrinkle out of place. At the sight she felt a pang of something she recognized as jealousy, thinking of the womens that would get to see him, talk to him or just have Vision on their side during the night. 

_ What the hell, control yourself Wanda.  _ She stared at her feet, ashamed for her own thoughts and waited for him to speak. 

“I'm leaving now” she thought she heard an apologetic tone in his voice “ i bought some pizza, it's on the counter you can heat it up whenever you want, save me some, this event always leave me empty inside” he said winking at her, clearly trying to be funny but she did not get the joke. She smiled anyways and thanked him, closing her door before he had a chance no notice how she was staring at his body in that outfit. 

When he was gone Wanda sat down in the bed with a blank expression.  _ Does he have a girlfriend? He is handsome to be single, im sure he will catch the attention of more than one woman tonight, how many of them would be interested in him?  i'm sure all of them are rich and have normal lives.  _ She shook her head and cursed in her native language. 

To help clear her mind she took a long shower, letting the warm water wash away her thoughts and the growing scary feelings she knew were inside her.

 

Wanda went to bed only to be awakened by yet another nightmare at 3am. She sat on the bed sweating and crying, sobs racking her body and a light sheet of sweat covering her skin. She went to the bathroom and washed her face, massaging the sides of her head to release the tension that filled her everytime she woke up like that.  While she was staring at the running water lost in her thoughts she heard a car on the premises and panicked instantly as the remains of her nightmare flooded her mind. Trying to control her reaction she walked to the window but stayed hidden from view covering herself with the curtain. Soon she recognized Vision´s car and a relieved breathe left her body. She watched as he got down, one of his hands running frantically through his hair while the other loosened the tie on his neck, making him look disheveled and carefree. But his movements were anxious and fast, clearly he was not relaxed. 

As she was observing this another vehicle pulled over, stopping harshly in front of the house, blocking the back of Vision´s car. A tall thin woman descended and even from far away Wanda could tell she was pissed off. The woman was wearing a short golden dress that hugged her curves in a very suggestive way with her brown shinny hair pulled in a tight ponytail, leaving more skin exposed as the dress was backless Wanda noticed when said woman slammed the door of her car with much more force than it was necessary. 

Wanda knew she should go back to bed and stop staring, whatever was going on was none of her business but she couldn't step away from the window.  Quietly she saw the girl grab Vision forcefully from his forearm, turning him so he was facing her and began speaking in a loud voice but not loud enough for Wanda to understand, her accent didn't help either. Vision snapped his arm away from her grasp moving two steps back while they kept arguing, his voice lower than hers and his hands in front of him in a clearly defensive posture. Wanda felt her blood boil in her veins at the scene, instead of fear, as illogical as it was, she felt rage. Rage at that unknown woman who has mistreating the nicest person she had ever met. Her surprise grew when, despite the conciliatory pose Vision had the woman moved forward and slapped him hard across the face. Wanda stood frozen for a second before she reacted, Vision was also frozen in his yard and so she raced for the door. 

She never made it outside the house because as she was near the front door it swung open, a very shocked Vision standing in the way. The sudden halt in her movements threw her off balance and she closed her eyes ready to fall down. But she never hit the floor, instead she felt two strong hands on her elbows, holding her weight. A blush began spreading from her neck as she opened her eyes and found Vision's face was mere inches from hers, his brows together in a worried expression. 

“Wanda? are you okay?” was all he had time to articulate before the girl with the golden dress exaggerated a laugh behind him. 

“Really? is  _ this”  _ she motioned to Wanda with a disgusted face “why you broke up with me? C´mon Vision, you have got to be kidding me” 

Wanda shrinked under the taller woman scrutiny, _i should have stayed in bed._ The tall brunette eyed the sokovian from head to toes, eyes squinting when she noticed Wanda's greenish bruise and the bandages in her arm. 

“Please Kate, its late, there is nothing else to talk, go home” he said tiredly, softening the grip on Wanda´s arms since she was not in danger of falling anymore but not taking his hands away. 

“This has to be a joke Vision, who is  _ she?  _ i want you to tell me right now!” Her voice sounded high pitched and exasperated, clearly she was spoiled. 

“Kate” he said, his voice dangerously low “this has nothing to do with you, i don't owe you an explanation, go home”. Wanda tried to move away from the scene but Vision didnt let her. 

“You are my boyfriend! and you have some..”she motioned at Wanda again with the same disdain than before while she pointed her manicured finger at the sokovian girl that was now trying hard to hide her face behind her hair, not being able to move “you have this..” 

“That's enough Kate" Vision cut her off before the girl could say anything else "you are making my guest uncomfortable, i will not keep discussing things with you in the middle of the night when you are clearly not dealing with the situation like the adult woman you are” he said as he moved further inside the house. He turned and grabbed the door handle, releasing Wanda in this motion but keeping one hand softly on her left elbow and situating her behind him, as if protecting her from the venom that was spilling from his now ex-girlfriend´s mouth.

“I can not believe this!” Kate began again but Vision just nodded and wishing her goodbye he closed his front door. 

He sighed before turning around _. _ Suddenly nervous he faced Wanda with an unreadable expression. 

“Wanda, are you okay? Im so sorry you had to witness that” He said apologetically, his hands moving on their own accord to her forearms, caressing her in a soothing up and down motion.

She felt the warmth that his touch elicited and in a second she forgot why was she there. Her eyes darted to his hands, surprised at how soft they were, how careful they seemed, in a instant she became aware of how close they were standing. He misinterpreted Wanda's expression and in a rush he removed his hands from her body. 

“Sorry, im sorry” he started nervously, looking at everywhere but her. 

“Its okay Vision, you dont have to apologize” she spoke in a whisper but honestly “are you okay though?” since she didn't know what kind of relationship they shared she kept for herself the impresion the tall woman had caused. 

Finally he found her eyes and his lips turned upwards in a small smile, his features softening instantly. 

“Im fine, you dont have to worry about me” he said confidently but her eyes traveled to the reddened spot on his cheek and he understood the meaning “oh, that's okay, my pale complexion makes everything seems worse than it actually is, trust me, its nothing” 

_ Its not nothing, thats how it starts, with nothings and lies and... _ She shook her head, not able to share her thoughts she just nodded and turned around to go back to her room. Vision tried but failed to read the change in her demeanor, he tried to understand her way of thinking but there were too many things missing for him to get to a logical conclusion. Sure he could guess, but everytime he guessed horrible images filled his head and he did not want to relate those situations with Wanda. He hoped someday she would be ready to tell him. 

“Wanda?” he desperately wanted more time with her, not ready to let her go to bed just yet he searched his mind for anything that would make her stay. She turned around slowly, her hair hiding half of her pretty face. 

“Yes, Vision?” 

“humm im starving” it wasn't a complete lie “would you like to eat a midnight snack with me?” his voice was hopeful and the tiny smile that played in his lips pulled at her heart. Wanda thought it was probably a bad idea but she dismissed the part of herself that told her that and nodded, blushing at the grin that Vision gave her. 

“How was the pizza?” he started animated “we could heat some of that up…” he made a gesture for her to go into the kitchen first, standing on the side of the door but she just frowned. 

“After you” Vision said politely and she gave him a weird look but went into the kitchen. Vision followed making a mental note  _ she is not used to gentlemanly attention but she did not seem to dislike it.  _ Satisfied with himself he walked to the counter and was surprised when he opened the cardboard box sitting there.

“Wanda!” his exclamation startled her for a second “why didn't you eat pizza?” _i ordered the same kind than the last time and she enjoyed it_ he frowned, he ordered specifically for that reason.

She shrugged, her hair was still covering her face but he could see her cheeks began to redden.

“I...don't know, wasn't hungry” he squinted his eyes but let the thought go.

“Would you like some now?”

“Sure” 

He heated up the food in the oven and sat down in the table to wait for it. Motioning for her to sit across from him he asked the question that had been in his head since he opened his door and found her earlier.

“So, Wanda, why were you going out in the middle of the night?” 

She shifted uncomfortable in her seat, it might sound stupid to him, he might think she is crazy, he might say that it was incorrect to be eavesdropping…

“Wanda” she focused her green eyes on his blue ones as his soft voice pulled her from her ravenous thoughts “I wont judge you for your answer, im not mad at you, im just curious, if you dont want to tell me its okay, no pressure” her eyes went wide with surprise, it was like he was reading her mind.

“You can talk to me” he added softly leaning a few inches on the table.

She closed  her eyes in defeat and sat straight, she had nothing to lose.

“I…” she took a deep breath readying herself “i heard you arrive”  _ and was terrified at first “ _ and since i was awake i watched through the window and”  _ and i hated when she slapped you  _ “i don't know, i guess i don't like when people deal with things with violence”  _ no one deserves to be treated violently, specially not you.  _

He stood in silence processing what she had said and the language her body showed. Her delicate hands were moving anxiously on the table, her left thumb tracing slowly a scar at the back of the right one. Her eyes were reddish and her hair was tangled,  _ Has she been crying? _ . Sitting so close to her with the bright kitchen light allowed him to find things he had missed before, he had so many questions his mind was racing with them. Absentmindedly he wondered if one day he would get to stop walking on eggshells around her. 

“Sorry, i know it might sound stupid to you…” Vision reacted then, realising he had been quiet way too long and that had made her anxious. 

“No no, it makes perfect sense, i didn't know she would react like that, i honestly was surprised” he frowned at the memory, she was pampered yes, but aggressive? That had been definitely new. Vision observed the emerald eyes sitting in front of him, as they darted from his hands to her own and to the things around them. He got the feeling she wanted to say something but she kept quiet. 

“Thank you for coming to my aid” Vision smiled and took pleasure in the way her cheeks turned pink and her stance relaxed just a little bit “Why were you awake though? it's pretty late” he confirmed checking on his watch that it was after 4am. 

Wanda stood silent for what it felt like hours to Vision. Regretting the original idea he asked her a less complicated question in order to reestablish the precarious balance in their conversation. 

“Would you like some water?” She nodded, her expression blank. Vision beated himself internally for ruining it. 

“I had a nightmare” Since he was facing the cabinets she was now behind him and her voice was barely a whisper. He froze in place, not wanting to do anything that could change her mind about talking to him but after a few minutes she was still silent so he sat down offering her a glass of water. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked hesitantly, observing the tight grip that her skinny fingers had on the cup.

“Not really” her eyes found his and he smiled at the softness in her features “but thank you”.  _ Baby steps,  _ he reminded himself. 

They ate the pizza in comfortable companionship, talking about non complicated subjects like favourite food, the best dish they could prepare, their worst experience in the kitchen. Wanda told him about the first time she had tried to make a cake but mixed up the flours and it ended up being a flat dough and he laughed lovingly picturing her in the situation. 

When they finally went to bed it was past 5am and while Vision walked to his room he felt confident he had made the right choice by breaking up with Kate, there was no point in denying himself that his heart was inevitably taken by someone else.   

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii sorry for the long pause! it has been a complicated couple of days but i have not left this behind, promise. I want (need) them to be happy together :P 
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback! I have some ideas in my mind but it helps to read what other people are thinking and have more options! 
> 
> have a nice day!   
> :D
> 
> PS: i suck at naming the chapters, sorry!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they spent some more time together Vision finally gets some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im sorry it took so long to post this! I went on a trip and then had to catch up with work and stuff. Anyways, i still suck at naming the chapters.
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback :D!!! Here you will have some background information about Wanda's past, hope you like it!!   
> Hope you all have an awesome week!

Vision didn't wake up until after 11am on Sunday, feeling a bit dizzy but rested. He lay in bed for a few minutes replaying the events of the night before in his mind, smiling when Wanda appeared in his memories. With renewed energy he got dressed and went to look for his favourite guest, assuming she would be up already.  
He knocked on her door softly and listened, but there was no sound on the other side. He waited a few minutes standing there with a grin on his face but when no one answered a wave of disappointment washed over him.  _ Maybe she went out again  _ he told himself while he walked to the kitchen, hoping to find a note or something and felt sadder when there was nothing. 

With a noticeable change in his mood he began making himself breakfast, planning what to do with the rest of his day. His lips pressed into a thin straight line when he remembered the original plans he had for that sunday. He and Kate were supposed to go to one of her pretentious cousin's birthday party.  _ Party  _ he laughed, he hated those events, especially the ones he had not option other than to attend, but he was free now, no more of Kate's obligations on his horizon. A relieved smile marked his features, those thoughts returned his good humor. Vision was still thinking about the repercussions of his decision, no signs of regret at all, when he heard soft steps behind him. 

“Good morning” Wanda said in her calm voice and his smile grew wider. He turned around and took a moment to appreciate the fact that it was the first time she looked like she had actually slept through the night. 

“Good morning Wanda!” he exclaimed not being able to hide his cheerfulness “how did you sleep?”

Her relaxed face turned pink and he had given anything to know why.

“Great, i can't remember the last time i slept until this hour” she smiled at him, her blush brightened her usual pale face and Vision found it adorable “and you?” 

“Great too” He said without taking his eyes off of her. Trying not to scare her off he invited her to eat breakfast with him and was instantly rewarded with a playful smile when she pointed at the clock on the wall. Vision just shrugged and offered her some tea pretending to be unbothered at her implication.   

“Wanda?” he said when she was finished with her toast, and  her emerald eyes focused curiously on him.

“Would you like to go out?” he smiled nervously “with me? i could show you London…?” he finished tentatively because of the frown that was now on her face. 

“i..humm” she tried to say no right away, she really didn't wanted to go out, to leave that safe space but his hopeful expression was too much. Wanda looked away from his expecting blue eyes, she didn't want to disappoint him, he had done so much for her, yet being out by herself she could handle, being out with  _ Victor Stark  _ would attract too much attention.  _  You have to think about yourself now, your safety comes first.  _

_ “ _ Im sorry but i would rather stay here today” reflecting the effect of her words his face fell instantly and she felt a stab of regret as his deep eyes stared at the floor for a second, composing himself immediately after and giving her a comforting smile.

“Right, sure, im sorry i assumed you didn't have plans” he nodded politely.

“I don't” the words were out of her mouth before she could think what she was saying, Vision tilted his head in confusion at her and she couldn't avoid noticing how hopeful he looked. “I don't have plans i mean” she felt herself blush again and kept her eyes locked on his.

“Oh”  was all he said, trying to make sure if she was saying what he thought she was  “so..would you like to, do something here?” 

“Sure” her voice was uncertain but her eyes were bright and a her lips twitched upwards in an attempted smile. 

 

It was hard deciding what to do. Vision felt like he couldn't think straight when Wanda was sitting in the couch so close to him. They had moved to the living room to be more comfortable and now she had a notepad in her hands that had written her ideas about what to do with their free time. Her chocolate brown hair was loose, wavy strands curling behind her ear, falling down her shoulders and back framing her thoughtful expression.  

“What do you got so far?” his voice startled her and she rearranged her position before answering. 

“humm we could play a board game? Or watch a movie?” there was a small pause “we could read?” she sounded unsure.

Vision thought about it. A board game sounded good but he didn't have any there, choosing a movie could be a tricky things, considering their awkward _friendship_. Reading was a good idea, they wouldn't be talking but at least they would be in the same room and he wanted her to be contented and calm. 

“Reading sounds good, i have to catch up with some work, ill go get my laptop” Vision said happily and went to his room. Wanda did the same and came back with her worn out copy of Pride and Prejudice, the first book she ever read in english. She sat down with her legs crossed underneath her and began reading. Vision observed her while he turned on his computer,  her bruise was lighter now, still purple in some areas but mostly light green and she was using less makeup to cover it up. Every now and then he would catch small signs of discomfort in her face, a quick twitch of her mouth and a change of position usually followed, he assumed those were related to her injured arm. _She is so beautiful._  


He forced himself to look away and focus on the screen in front of him, it was hard at first, even not seeing her he could smell her coconut shampoo, hear her steady breathing, all his senses were alert when she was around. Eventually he got his control back and willed his mind to pay attention to the emails he was checking.

They stood there in silence, each one concentrated in their business for hours. When Vision was satisfied with one of the reports he was checking he closed his laptop and stretched his hands in front of him, finally happy with how things were going.  He turned to his right to ask Wanda if she was hungry and the image melted his heart. Wanda was curled up on the other end of the couch, her head on the armrest and her arms enveloping her book. Her expression was peaceful and she seemed younger, like a child almost. Vision stood up silently and went to the hallway closet to find a comforter to drape across her small figure, pleased when she hugged the blanket and a soft sigh left her body. He watched her for a few minutes, trying to control the urge to run his fingers through her hair or trace the lines of her face, admiring the rise and fall of her chest while she slept. His hand moved on his own accord closer to her face, ready to caress her cheek when the most strange thing happened. All movement from her halted, her torso stopped rising and she stopped breathing. It was an instant, Vision was sure he wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the fact that he was clearly obsessed with the sokovian girl that was currently in his house. His brow furrowed in confusion and he got the sensation that Wanda was wide awake now, it was an odd feeling, it was as if he could sense her mind working, even while her eyes were still closed. He froze in place trying to comprehend the situation. 

“Wanda?” he tried softly and she slowly opened her eyes. He regretted instantly, not knowing how to continue “Are you okay?”. She took a deep breath and hugged the comforter closer, a part of her realising she didn't have it before.  Relieve filled her when she saw Vision and his scared face in front of her,  _ he is not Baron  _ she told herself _.  _

“Im fine” she said closing her eyes again, trying to control her erratic thoughts and irrational fears.

“Are...are you hungry?” he fidgeted nervously “sorry for waking you” he moved away in case she wanted to stand up. 

“Its okay, how long was i sleeping?” She stretched her arms to the sides and moved her head before sitting up. 

He shrugged, he definitely not wanted her to know that he was watching her,  _ she will think you are a creep, for sure.  _

“Wanna eat something?” He said instead, trying to avoid the weird conversation tha he knew was coming and she nodded “I´ll go take a shower and after we can order some food? chinese maybe?” 

“Sure” She said with a shy smile. 

Wanda had never had chinese food before so Vision helped her picked and option that sounded good for her taste. They talked about food over dinner and kept talking about other things long after they had finished. She was surprised at how easy it was to chat with him, he had a way to say things that made her feel like her stories were worth sharing, he listened calmly, never judging her, his blue eyes always bright and expectant. 

_ Maybe he is not like all the others, maybe he does care.  _

"This food is really good" She said appreciatively "Im glad yoy suggested it for me, you know i wasnt sure at first..." Vision laughed easily, recalling her face as she tried to understand Taipei's online menu. 

"i know" she tilted her head curious "you had a pretty funny face while you were trying to pick, im happy you like it, see? not all new things are bad" He said in a soft tone, one that had clearly a hidden meaning that she chose to ignore for the moment. 

A few times since they had begun talking more freely Vision had catched her making the mistake of referring to herself as a “we” and since he felt like they were making progress he took a deep breath to prepare himself while she played with the leftovers in her plate.

“So, Wanda, do you have any brothers or sisters?” He had pondered asking about a partner also but he stopped himself at the last minute. It would be easier, he thought, to hear her speak about a relative than a boyfriend when his groundless crush for her kept growing and growing each passing second.   
Vision regretted his question as he observed the painful expression that appeared in her face. Her eyes were now glossy and there was a heartbreaking quiver in her lower lip that teared his own heart apart. After a few minutes he assumed she wasn't going to speak about it but she surprised him by doing the opposite.

"Do _you_ have any brothers or sisters?" She asked instead and he felt like it was something like a test. 

"I dont, the Starks adopted me when i was a baby, they are all the family i have known" 

"You are adopted?" Wanda knew it was a stupid question, he had just confirmed it. She didnt tried to hide the surprise from her face. Sure, she didnt know a lot about the lives of any rich families but she was atonished she had never heard that the only son of Tony Stark was adopted. 

"Yes, when i was a baby, its not a very popular story, really" He said squinting his eyes "Is there someting wrong with that?" 

"What?" she was taken aback by his sudden suspicious tone "No no, of course not, its just...you family is not exactly...private. Im surprised, thats all" she said staring at her hands nervously. 

"Oh yeah well 26 years ago the media was not like it is today i guess it was easier to keep somethings on the quiet side. Its not actually a secret but my parents dont like to talk about it, i think they feel like they offend me or something if the subject comes up." Her questioning green eyes enchanted him and he continued answering the silent inquiry. "Im not, offended i mean, but i love my parents and they have done everything for me so i dont speak about it either so i dont make them uncomfortable" He srhugged. "Its not a big deal".

"Did you ever...try to contact your real parents?" She was leaning on the table now, unable to stop herself from asking, staring into his beautiful blue eyes. In the back of her mind she questioned herself if she would be so ready to share intimate information with someone who had behaved like she had been behaving during her stay in his house. She doubted. Vision was the most compassionate person she had ever met, the realization awoke something inside her, something deep and warm but she pushed the thought aside for some other time. 

"Yes...its a long story, but the short version? My dad died in jail when i was one, he was, apparently, a psycopath. He believed in all that nonsense about the arian race supremacy and that the rest of the population should be erased from the planet. He called himself Ultron, like some sort of superhero" He shook his head with a smile but without any trace of humor "My mom died at birth, she was just a girl either paid or convinced by my father to give him a son, someone to continue his legacy" His expression was calm as he waited for her reaction. 

"Wow thats.." She searched for words blinking quickly "wow" 

"Yeah, that's a story you will find on the internet, without the fact that I am actually his son" Wanda stared at him confused "Growing up my parents were worried i would be bullied or feared if the people around us knew who my real father was so they moved here, i was raised in London and they told me the truth when i was old enough to comprehend. Not a lot of people knows about this" He said in a lower tone "Im trusting you know how to keep a secret" He said smiling at her shocked face. 

“I had a twin” she began, her voice was pained, barely a whisper, and it reminded him of when they first met, back in that cold train station. He could feel how hard it was for her to talk about the subject. 

“His name was Pietro and we were” she took a deep shaky breath “we were very close. He died a little bit more than a year ago” she said gloomily.

“What happened?” Vision asked unsure, fighting the urge to touch her hands that were fidgeting almost hysterically on the table.

“I would rather not talk about it” Wanda answered dully, her face closing down into an unreadable expression. 

“Thats..” he watched her now expectant face and wondered what was she thinking “fair” he finished, her face relaxing instantly. Vision debated on whether or not keep asking her the questions that were driving him mad with intrigue but she kept talking, all his attention focused completely on her. 

“Our parents died when we were ten, a bomb, Stark made from when your company build weapons, killed them and trapped Pietro and me in out apartment” a stab of guilt pierced him but her tone wasnt accusatory, she was simply telling him a story, she had long stopped blaiming the bomb, humans were the dangerous ones. “From that moment on, we were on our own”

“Didnt you had an adoption system in your country?Child services?” Vision said shocked, maybe it was a stupid question but he felt horrified thinking about the two children alone in what it sounded like a war ragged world. He had always felt lucky, listening to Wanda he realised until what point. As an answer she let out a humorless laugh. 

“We were two poor orphans, sure, they tried to get us into the system but no one wanted two ten years old. For a while we stood there, at the beginning all the interest was on Pietro.  He was blonde and athletic, you have no idea how fast and energecti he was, always number one in sports.” Her voiced turned soft and fond while she talked about her brother, the love she still felt for him echoing in her speech. “He refused to go with any of the couples because they weren't interested in me, a thin shy girl with no apparent talents” She smiled sadly but kept talking. It was as if a door had been opened and now she couldn't keep it all inside. “As the years went by the interest of the potential parents changed, most of them were then interested in me, a quiet lonely teenager instead of a rebellious and loud boy. When we were 14 Pietro overheard some of the foster parents speaking about me, he never told me exactly what they were saying but i could guess and so that night he told me to grab my things and we ran away, after that...well, as i said we were on our own”. She finally looked up and her green orbs were filled with unshed tears but her expression was somewhat relieved. Vision stretched his arm and softly rested his hand on top of her shaking ones paying attention to her reaction. Wanda´s eyes widened in surprise and she stood still for a second watching their joined hands on the table, frozen in place by fear. But then Vision squeezed her fingers gently and her eyes traveled to focus on his, so full of empathy and understanding and she let out a sigh. 

“Thank you for telling me about your brother” he said running soothing circles in the back of her left hand with his thumb, admiring the softness of her skin “It means a lot to me that you trust me with that information” Her eyes widened even more at the notion that, despite him clearly knowing there was more to the story he was not going to ask her for it, at least not yet. 

She nodded and her breathing quickened while she retracted her hands to rest them under the table. He saw a flash of fear in her eyes and thought he understood the reason for it but it was far from the truth. His soft touch and gentle eyes were too sweet and tempting and she felt like angry at herself for her foolness, she was not going to fall for that again. 

They went to bed after that conversation, their minds troubled with different thoughts. Vision was happy she was opening up, excited that she was finally speaking about her past. Wanda on the other hand, was terrified.  

**Author's Note:**

> I have a few more chapters written but im not sure about the direction they are taking so if anyone is reading this and would like to ay something about it please do it:) 
> 
> This first ch is all in Vision pov but the story will have Wanda's too.  
> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
